


The Seal

by Gumnut



Series: Marks & Wings [11]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Brothers, Gen, Marks & Wings AU, Shapeshifting, Wingfic, without wings this time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26856739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gumnut/pseuds/Gumnut
Summary: His brother couldn’t fly, so he did the next best thing to survive in the frigid cold waters he had fallen into, and he had changed. Marks & Wings AU
Series: Marks & Wings [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1370236
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	The Seal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Godsliltippy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Godsliltippy/gifts).



> This is part of the Marks & Wings universe (see my other fics for more) where four of the brothers have wings that emerge from marks on their backs. The fifth brother is a little different.
> 
> Inspired by two lines from The Lady Razorsharp on Tumblr.
> 
> -o-o-o-

Okay, there were limits.

Sure, Virgil had been terrified that he had again lost his fish brother. The guy had done it before, and yet he still managed to do it again. Though admittedly, this time it was in Antarctica amongst the snow and ice and Gordon was obviously going for variety.

And sure, it had been because of a rescue. A successful rescue, one that saved the lives of three researchers.

Three researchers that Virgil was on the verge of killing, but hey, they were alive for the moment.

The ice had collapsed and Gordon had been standing on it. His brother couldn’t fly, so he did the next best thing to survive in the frigid cold waters he had fallen into, and he had changed.

Midair.

In front of three aghast survivors who shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

One of which had the nerve to get out their phone and film Gordon as he risked his life to save them.

Two had them dangling below, thanks to Gordon’s efficiency, and Virgil was able to yank them up into his ‘bird’s belly, despite the howling winds.

But his brother had vanished into the maelstrom of the Southern Ocean, last seen as a seal.

The frustrating thing about Gordon was that his body could not support a tracker. Whatever happened to his clothing when he shifted, any tracker in his body went with it.

Great for modesty.

Bad for locating missing brothers.

And if that rescuee complained about his phone one more time, Virgil was going to do something he wouldn’t regret.

The device was toast. Eos had obliterated it the moment she realised there was video being taken of the shape changing Tracy. His AI niece was efficient and the cell was now no more than a smouldering lump on the deck plates.

She would be on high alert patrol until Penelope could get her hands on the trio and stamp out any rumours they may choose to start.

Virgil took some great reassurance from that fact.

But Gordon had vanished from sensors and Virgil’s own sense of his brother was vague due to his shift in form.

Fortunately, seals were mammals so he was receiving much more than he would be if Gordon had turned himself into a crab or cephalopod. But still it was frustrating.

“So, what is he?” Phoneless rescuee was a bonafide asshole.

Virgil grit his teeth and ignored him.

Antarctic winds were a bitch and despite Two fighting like a champ, he was still having trouble keeping her at a safe hover. “John, tell me you have something.”

“I’m trying, Virgil, but cold is cold and infrared can only do so much.” His space brother was delving into Two’s equipment and focussing the power of Five through her instruments. The best thing Virgil could do right now was hold her still.

Virgil bit back a snarl of frustration. Every cell in his body wanted to go down there and fish his brother out of the ocean, but Two couldn’t be left to herself and visibility was shit.

“Is he a changeling?”

Virgil tasted blood as his teeth bit through his lip.

Gordon, if you can hear me, please!

There was a flicker of something, but it was hard to localise amongst the roar of Two, the howling wind outside and the windbag inside…

“Shut the fuck up!”

Okay, so Grandma would probably scrub his mouth out with a toilet brush, but it got results.

Windbag grunted and, fortunately for him, did as he was told.

A particularly strong gust whacked Two sideways and Virgil was forced to gain height or risk colliding with the leading edge of the glacier.

“John…”

The single hiss over comms was only a hint of the wave of worry that washed down from orbit.

But then….

“Got him!”

Location coordinates flashed up on Virgil’s dash and a holographic representation of a single dot swimming in an infinity loop at the surface of the ocean.

A bent infinity loop.

No, the number four.

Heart in his throat, Virgil lowered Two closer to the water.

It spat up at him, angered by the gale.

The glacier loomed.

As close to the waves as he dared, Virgil opened Two’s bay doors and lowered the rescue rig into the water.

The loop stopped and swam over to the tossed rig.

A flicker and his sense of Gordon reasserted itself as his brother changed form.

“Up.” It was breathless on comms and Virgil hurried to comply.

The wind fought him and Two dipped sideways again.

One of the rescuees squawked behind him.

Windbag swore.

Virgil’s grip on the yoke removed all the blood from his hands.

But Two was as strong as he needed her to be and she drew the rescue rig inside.

The moment he had it secured, Virgil pulled back on the yoke and Two climbed above the weather as fast as he could get her there.

The sudden absence of turbulence was peaceful. A creeping silence.

Virgil shoved her into autopilot, secured the console and despite the protests of windbag, was out of his seat and hurrying down into the module between breaths.

He didn’t need to see the seal to know his brother had transformed back into the pinniped, probably to conserve heat until the module warmed up, but it was always a surprise to encounter Gordon in another of his forms.

If Virgil’s heart wasn’t still beating a mile a minute, he could have called his brother cute.

Virgil didn’t know enough to identify the type of seal Gordon had chosen this time, only that it was a fat one, a dark mottled brown and rolling on Two’s deck plates like a beached whale.

Warm eyes glared up at him as he approached. The one aspect that seemed to survive his brother’s transformation was his eyes. They were always carnelian, always so Gordon they reached into Virgil’s insides and just yanked.

“Hey, you okay?” He visually combed the length of his brother’s seal body, but could not see any obvious injury.

The seal bounced its head up and down slowly.

“Cold?”

Another bounce. Gordon slid over and rubbed up against his leg.

And finally, relief flooded Virgil’s system. Oh, thank god.

A flickering echo of that same emotion wafted down from orbit as Virgil knelt and wrapped his arms around his still damp and cold brother. The chill coming off the seal was ice.

No wonder his brother had switched back as soon as possible.

He couldn’t help but rub a hand down his brother’s back.

Gordon chirped at him and wearily flapped a flipper.

Virgil pulled back with a frown. The sense being thrown at him was one of hunger.

“You’re kidding.”

Gordon smacked his lips together. Seals had puppy dog eyes, but these were definitely Gordon’s.

“You know we only have ration bars aboard. Not exactly seal cuisine.” Hell, he wasn’t even sure they were compatible with a pinniped’s digestive system.

Gordon squawked at him all seal teeth and tongue. “ARFGFJFJFHHGGJH!!!”

Virgil scampered backwards, as always, never quite sure exactly how much Gordon’s form influenced his brother’s thoughts. “Don’t _arjfjfjejdjfjfggh_ at me, mister. I’m not the one who forgot to stock Two with sardines.”

Gordon wilted and dropped his head onto Virgil’s knee.

The puppy seal eyes deployed were downright lethal.

Virgil groaned. “Fine. We’ll pick up takeout from The Crab Shack on the way back.” The seal immediately perked up. “And yes, you can get your favourite. I’ll contact them on the way in.” The Auckland eatery knew them well.

Mostly their fish brother’s fault.

Gordon managed a tired but goofy grin.

Virgil sighed, but couldn’t help but reach up and rub at his scruff gently.

And the laugh that burst out when Gordon whacked a flipper repeatedly on the floor like a dog enjoying himself far too much was one of so much fond love, it almost had tears in it.

Goofball.

-o-o-o-

FIN.


End file.
